Rules to Curb Accident-prone Glass Curtain Walls in New Buildings Expected to Come Out in Shanghai

Shanghai is considering rules to restrict new buildings with exterior walls made of glass, after a string of accidents caused by faulty windows added to the woes of skyscrapers in China's most modernized city.

Glass curtain walls will be banned in newly-built apartments, hospitals, schools, kindergartens and rest homes, according to the draft of a new rule that the government said aims to safeguard people's safety, protect the environment and save energy.

Restrictions will also be placed on such walls in scenic sites and places of historic and cultural significance, it said. The government is soliciting public opinion over the rule before being further discussed by experts and officials and finally being put into effect.

Shanghai, home to 23 million people, has about 2,600 buildings with glass curtain walls, and some are too old to be reliable, with problems like cracks, erosion and leaks, the government said.

As building maintenance in Shanghai is believed to lag seriously behind other world cities, the draft of the new rule calls for a periodic safety overhaul of glass curtain walls.

Skyscraper builders and property owners must set up funds earmarked for repairs, it said.

Source: Xinhua